Quote: Such an honour ought to be bestowed on someone only after a lifetime of extraordinary achievement Precisely.

It may just be the quirky way I read your post, but it strikes me that for you to think he has had a "lifetime of extraordinary achievement" implies that his lifetime is almost over. He seems to be 32ish, so I hope not.

His lifetime so far may have been extraordinary; I have no idea, because cycling bores me marginally more than golf, but I sort of thought that a lifetime achievement award was given towards the end of the person's career. His first achievement recorded in your link was in 2003. A "lifetime" spanning 2003 to 2012 seems to me be somewhat short.

Then again, I could not care less because I find the whole honours system to be arcane.

I take the point about the phrase lifetime achievement, then again he is the first Englishman ever to win the Tour, a somewhat demanding three week event with climbs that I suspect most folks here couldn't get anywhere near completing. I reckon the first Brit that wins that event is more than worthy of a major award, all IMHO of course.

That said if a "rot" with the devaluation of sportspersons and gongs it really set in with Kelly Holmes - nothing personal - she was a major stalwart of UK track and field for many years but despite that I will never ever be convinced her for the 800 / 1500 double in Athens was worthy of a DBE.

Best solution is to quietly drop the whole masquerade. People who do well get rewarded accordingly, in the work they do, either in kind or in personal satisfaction in what they do. Motives can be at either end of the spectrum. Athletes earn their medals and seem nowadays to be paid for what used to be an amateur activity. I am sure that they apply a huge amount of effort and bring a staggering talent to their successes, but their reward is surely the medal and any dosh that goes with it?

If there has to be an honours system, why does such and such headmistress or whatever get recognised ,and not the equally diligent committed worker in a different domain? Or even the same domain?

Because education is a political priority.. However, if you are an Independent school teacher you have naff all chance. Indeed, you have very little chance of any kind of recognition (e.g. teacher oscars). Try asking them "What proportion of award winners are from the Independent sector?" (I have) and you will get a very frosty, negative response.

So, the Heads may deserve their awards, but there are a lot of others who aren't considered. Politics.

Milliband is carrying it on by giving Mrs Becket the title of Dame, she would do well as a pantomime dame, but in the Lords she just contributes to the destruction of the place as a creditable institution.

The award of Dame is the female equalivant to that of a Knighthood for males. She will not be sitting in the Lords. To get that position she would need to be created a Baroness.

Honestly WHAT a state of affairs for our nation to end up in, truly shocking.

This award is being discussed as though there's something new in it. We had knighthoods for Don Bradman, Gordon Richards, Stanley Matthews etc more than 50 years ago. Nothing new in a top sportsman getting a gong

Seems to have been a awful lot handed out this time,they will end up like degrees,what happens when everybody has one? Said for year the Honors system should be scrapped, they are the ultimate bribe,the dolling out of same should certainly be taken out of the hands of the vermin in Westminster and Whitehall.